Black & Blue
by yellowroses257
Summary: Forest fires have begun to dominate Beacon Hills. Anyone who tries to leave is physically unable to overstep the boundaries of the town. Lydia Martin is experiencing more and more nightmares and has an uncanny ability to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. She's growing nervous and weak. With the help of the wolf pack, specifically Cora Hale, Lydia tries to save the town. R


**Hello! I am new to the TW fandom but I fell in love with Cora/Lydia just from a gif set. I have yet to watch any of the show, really, so bare with me on specifics please. Any feed back or general knowledge you think I should know would be appreciated! Tell me what you think, I would really appreciate it. -Rose**

* * *

_Chapter 1_

It was hot, and bright red was all she could see. Lydia Martin was dripping sweat, her lungs feeling like ice from how stiff the air was. Coughing, she opened her eyes. But only to see fire. Literal fire. It was scorching the trees and brush nearby. Lydia nearly jumped out of her skin. How had she gotten there? More importantly, where was she?

Standing to her feet, her bare feet, Lydia looked around. Black smoke was thick in the air and made it hard to see. She squinted in an attempt to get a better look, one arm covering her mouth. She could feel the soot and ash gathering on her skin, her cheeks and her hair and her arms. It was raining ash and soot, coming down in floods from the black smoke above.

Lydia stumbled forward. The longer she was awake the more her lungs began to burn and the more her eyes stung. It wasn't a pleasant smell, the smell of healthy shrubbery burning and dying. It was like the forest was crying and its tears came out in a foul stench.

"Help...H-Help me-!"

A man's voice. More people were with her. Lydia wasn't alone. Unless...she didn't want to think about that. She shook her head, shook the thoughts right away. Because death wasn't something she wanted to think about. She wanted to wake up from this horrible nightmare. Scream her terrible scream and ache throughout her whole body rather than feel the very real sting of the fire.

"Hello?" she coughed. "Where are you?!"

"Here...He-re..."

The man was coughing. Lydia continued on her shaky legs, walking forward, trying to follow the noise of the person's lungs giving out. But the strawberry-blonde followed. She followed, feet burning like that from hot sand on a scorching summer's day. Everything burned. Everything. The hair on her arms, the hair on her face. The skin covering her body burned. Lydia had never been so hot in her life. So encompassed by the heat that she literally felt like her skin was melting off.

"Where _are_ you?!" she yelled, her voice hoarse and not loud in the least.

Her foot caught on something, heavy and burning, too. Lydia caught herself, hands thrown down and on more burning fabric. Startling back, her heart squeezing tight like a sponge and a claustrophobic feeling taking over, Lydia realized the big, hot, thing she'd tripped over was the man.

"Help...me..."

Lydia could barely hear him. His clothes were singed, looking like they had been on fire not moment ago. From the pain in her palms he must have been. His face was covered in ash, but it was shiny too. She didn't want to stop and think about why.

"I'm here," she coughed, choked, the words sounding no better than his own.

Even though it burned, made her think of burnt chicken slipping out of its own skin, Lydia grabbed the tattered remains of the man's clothing. She had to take small steps, otherwise the fabric ripped in her hands, right between her fingers like thin paper. She pulled, huffed, puffed, and _tried_ her best to find a way out, only to find more and more bodies. _Corpses_, Lydia corrected herself. She was finding burnt corpses.

That was when the claustrophobic feeling registered again. The man hadn't complained once about her dragging him face first across the burning dirt. He was dying, he was on the way out. Lydia panicked, dropping his body to the ground and squeaking. Never, she'd never touched a dead man before.

The man was dead, she was sure of it when he passed through her chest and her muscles tightened to the point that Lydia couldn't stand. She was falling to her knees, coughing and crying and slowly becoming incoherent. She wanted scream when the heat wrapped around her.

Would rather drown than burn to death. Rather suffocate than melt. So the heat was crippling, especially when she did scream. That ear piercing one. The one that...the one that the Banshee screamed. It took all her breath, it took _everything_. So much so that all she could see was the darkness of her eyelids.

* * *

"_Why was she out there?_"

_"You think I know? All I know is she screamed."_

_"But a forest fire isn't a murder,it's natural."_

_"You don't think I know that?"_

_"Listen, I'm not trying to argue-"_

_"You are. Everyone heard her scream, except you and Stiles."_

* * *

Burning. Scorching. Skin peeling away from bone, melting away like sugar under a hot sun.

Lydia jolted, wincing painfully at the sting that ripped through her side. Her mind was fuzzy. Everything was fuzzy and difficult. Looking around she could see she wasn't in the forest anymore, and she wasn't dead. There were no puffy, white, clouds. She was in her best friend's room, Allison's room. But why?

Making a move to sit up, Lydia muffed a hiss. Her right side was in terrible pain. It felt like someone had poured acid to her skin, watched it bubble and blister then ripped it off layer by layer.

"Lydia."

Hands appeared on her shoulders and they pushed her back into the mattress.

"Allison. What happened?"

Lydia was surprised to find her throat so raw and her her mouth so dry.

Allison looked skeptical, especially as she sat down on the edge of the bed, hands in her lap. She was staring at the wall behind Lydia, and the strawberry-blonde furrowed her brows in confusion.

"Scott found you in the middle of a forest fire. I guess you screamed...wouldn't know I can't hear you...But you got a bad burn on your side."

"A forest fire?" Lydia mocked, though it didn't hold quite the snark she wanted.

Allison nodded, fingers twisting into her hair briefly. She was worried. Lydia narrowed her eyes some. Her friend never acted so timid.

"A forest fire. It must have been a Banshee thing. Scott said there were other people with you."

"Hold it. Since when has there been a forest fire here?"

Just because she was a little beat up, or burned up didn't mean that Lydia would hold back. She needed to know everything that went on. She was a genius after all, and everything that happened she needed to take into account.

"I don't know," Allison said. "The news keeps saying the fire started late last night. It killed six people. It hasn't stopped. The fire department is having a melt down over it."

Lydia quirked a perfect brow, trying to process the information. None of it made sense and none of it seemed to have anything to do with...bad people.

Footsteps had her jumping, flinching hard to catch the person before they appeared.

Lydia had to grind her teeth together to keep from whining out in pain. Allison was watching her like she was a porcelain doll. Her stomach churned, angry at the pain and her friend.

"Sorry." It was only Isaac.

* * *

Lydia took the medicine she was given and tried not to look too uneasy when Isaac pulled the pain out of her side. Though it still hurt, because no matter how much 'pain' Isaac took on her muscles were still sore. Wolf business was always prevalent.

"Cora?"

Lydia clenched her jaw. Sure, she was uncomfortable physically but now she would be annoyed too.

"No, clearly it's Obama."

"How did you even know-"

"That one reeks of smoke," Cora said, throwing her chin in Lydia's direction. "And Scott told Derek."

Of course Lydia would be caught up in the cyclone that was the wolf pack. She shifted, tentatively crossing her arms, a lame attempt at hiding the burn. Though a small part of her knew all the wolves would be able to smell her burnt flesh no matter what she did. She glared at Cora because why the hell was she there in the first place?

"Allison, Derek wants to keep Lydia at his place," Isaac spoke from his corner. The blonde boy stood up, towering over Cora, and Allison who seemed skeptical.

"Is he okay?" Allison wondered aloud.

Cora snapped her head in the direction of the brunette. "He's _fine_. He's also a lazy ass. Isaac you can bring her out to the car."

Lydia hated that she was being talked around, like she didn't exist, like she wasn't in the room. Cora hadn't so much as looked at her, had yet to greet her, not that she cared, and now was saying she needed to leave?

"What if I don't want to go to Derek's?" Lydia snarled, though again, it sounded more pathetic than it did threatening. She fought to hold back the wince at the crack at the end, focusing on stabbing each of them with her stare.

Isaac shook his head, "I have to go check on things. I can't. I need to...do things..."

Allison seemed to be the only one paying any attention to Lydia. The two wolves were having their own stare down. Lydia pursed her lips and softened her glare some.

"No one knows what's going on," her friend started. "And that's the safest place."

"Right, surrounded by crazy men who turn into dogs."

"Shut it," Cora snapped, jerking her body toward Lydia.

It startled her. She'd never been startled so easy before, everything today was making her jump and it hurt. She was angry at herself for it, too.

"Sorry, and a crazy girl, too," she smirked, yet as always Lydia wasn't as threatening as she wanted.

The veins in Cora's neck were stretching as she flexed. Her jaw was set and her leather jacket seemed to ruffle as the girl flexed and rotated her muscles.

Suddenly Allison's hand was on top of Lydia's. It was obvious her best friend was weary.

"I need to go," Isaac said. He was antsy, his body jerky in its movements as he left.

Lydia could see how torn her friend was once the blonde boy left the room. Allison had something with him, and Lydia was far from stupid. She also knew she could hold her own with Cora. Maybe not physically, but she could compete with anyone mentally. Lydia looked down to the bedspread, wondering if there were any shoes she could get. She wanted to take a shower, but Allison had advised against it seeing as the water would only irritate her burn.

"Fine. I'll go, but I need to get ready first."

Allison smiled and began to stand.

"You know where everything is."

Cora had been oddly quiet, and Lydia was about to harass her for it when she noticed the wolf girl was no longer in the room. Feeling a drop in her stomach at having not noticed, Lydia shook her head.

"You should go with Isaac. It's written all over your face."

Allison doesn't make a move. "You're sure that's okay?"

Lydia nodded, "I don't want to be stuck in your house alone. And I don't think your dad would like any of _them_ coming up to your room anyways."

Allison smiled wider, but it soon faded.

"Do you need help?" she asked, pulling her hair back.

It was then that Lydia finally noticed how her friend was dressed. Allison was decked out in thick clothing, jeans, jacket, boots. She looked like a wannabe wolf. Isaac had been dressed similar and so had Cora. It wasn't so strange, minus the fact that it was only September.

"Why are you ready to go skiing?"

Allison paused, looked herself over and pointed to the windows. "There's ash everywhere. And sometimes embers. People have been catching on fire...So, this is the best way to dress. Things that...things that can't catch on fire."

* * *

The sleek, black Camaro smelled like smoke. Not like that of a campfire, either. It was too strong and overpowering in its stench, making Lydia sneeze. Cora drove fast. Every bump she went over sending a shock to Lydia's side.

Lydia had taken her shower, much to Allison's dismay. She'd brushed her teeth and pulled her hair back into an intricate bun. She'd even tried to dress in thick clothing, but it was too much for her burn. Being stubborn, Lydia had walked down in dress similar to everyone there. But Allison had walked her right back up the stairs saying Lydia was only going to hurt herself more.

When they got to the loft, Cora cut the engine and got out of the car without a word to Lydia. Lydia knew they weren't very friendly towards each other, but over the weeks they'd learned to tolerate each other. And when she'd been stuck, held captive...Lydia shook her head, following the wolf girl inside.

The loft was dark and made of mostly cement. Derek wasn't there or else he was hiding away.

"What am I supposed to do here?" Lydia asked, watching as Cora started removing her layers.

The brunette only shrugged, finally pulling her shirt over her head, only a sports bra left on her torso. "Derek would like to speak with you. So wherever he is, I'm sure he'll make himself known."

Lydia's lip twitched. Why was Cora stripping down? Not that she didn't look good. Cora did look good, she looked strong. And Lydia could it admire her body, _purely_ for the intricate muscles across Cora's abdomen, back, collarbone, biceps, forearms, neck, shoulders...The wolf girl dropped to the floor, catching herself before she made impact and immediately throwing herself into pushups.

"Derek wants me here but he's not here? Why can't someone make a _little_ sense around here?"

Cora rolled her eyes, still focused on her exercise routine. Lydia huffed and began to wander around the space. There was little to it. Minimum furniture and decorations. It was totally a boy's space. She made it around to the large window's of the loft and looked outside. Soot was on the leaves of the trees and the glass of the window itself. The sky was gray and black smoke lifted up from the woods. It wasn't threatening, just remains of what had been the forest fire. Allison had said that the schools had closed down for a state of emergency and they'd yet to be opened up again.

"Lydia."

A deep, dark voice spoke, Lydia spinning around to face the sound. Derek stood there, jeans and t-shirt looking crisp. Her breath had caught in her throat, making it tight. Her muscles had all flexed in anticipation for...something, though she didn't know what.

"You should sit down," Derek said, motioning to Lydia's side. "You're bleeding."

Glancing down burnt red color was seeping through Lydia's shirt. She sighed and nodded, biting her lip against the pain. She must have ripped open a part of the scabbing when she turned.

"Ow."

Lydia had to bite back a whimper. She was surrounded by wolves, strong people who wouldn't blink when they were hurt. She couldn't show how weak she was. Cora soon appeared at Derek's side. Sweat was dripping down the wolf girl's temple.

"Why didn't you put her in a bed?" Derek grumbled.

Cora shrugged, her chest expanding with deep breaths. "She was fine a minute ago. Ginger still thinks she can handle herself."

Derek flexed his neck, rolling it around in what looked like frustration.

"She's bleeding, Cora. Get her in bed."

"What bed? There's a couch and your bed. Don't think you want human blood everywhere."

"I don't care. Lydia, as soon as you're settled we'll talk." Derek gave firm nod, ending the conversation in its path. Lydia nodded, taking a step forward even though she had no idea where the wolf's room was.

Cora's hands curled into fists. "Fine," she grumbled.

Lydia put pressure on her wound, wincing despite herself. Cora was stiff as she replaced Lydia's hands with one of her own, the other taking its place on the small of the strawberry-blonde's back. She led Lydia to Derek's room, coaxing her to sit down.

"I need to change," Lydia announced, tired of being manhandled.

But Cora only shook her head. "Later." And seconds later her shirt was being yanked up and Cora's warm palm was pressing into her side over the bandage. The strawberry-blonde shivered, hiccuping once at the stress of the touch but her body going warm from the ease with which Cora's palm curled so softly against her.

Lydia looked up, trying to read Cora's features, but she only got so far because after a minute Cora's dark eyes were beaming yellow. The vein's in the wolf girl's arm were bulging out, her muscles tensed and huge. Suddenly her veins began to turn black, and their natural curl began to look more like a python squeezing its prey.

"You don't need to-" But Lyida was cut off at the glare she received. Normally she could take any glare, normally she would snap back at Cora. But nothing seemed normal anymore. Not that it ever was before, but today and the last few days had been hell. The fire and frustration in those yellow eyes literally silenced her, along with Cora's clenched jaw. It didn't feel like anything special. It was like a thin string was being pulled out of her skin, sometimes growing thick and other times thin. It felt strange but not very painful.

"Now you can change," Cora said, her eyes slowly seeping back to their original brown hue. She removed her hand and wiped the blood on her dark jeans. Cora was quick to leave the room, not allowing Lydia any time to thank her or question her.

* * *

That night, Lydia was curled up in Derek's big bed. Her hair spilled over the dark sheets and pillow cases and her pale complexion made her stark against the bed. She was still sore. And no matter who pulled out her pain, be it beta or alpha (everyone had had their turn now) she was still uncomfortable. No matter how much ibuprofen she took her body wouldn't turn off the ache.

Derek had drilled her, Lydia barely able to come up with answers for him. She knew no more than any of the wolves, Allison, or Stiles. In fact, they seemed to know more than her. They knew all about the forest fires, all about the people who died and the fire department. All about the state of emergency. And, fun fact, _none_ of them could leave Beacon Hills. It'd been proven. Every single time one of her friends went near the border they were physically unable to continue walking.

Which was just great. On top of that, she'd been put on a sort of house arrest. Lydia couldn't leave the loft, and she wouldn't tell anyone but she was a little grateful for it. Scott came over and talked with her, too. Though Scott didn't seem to know much about what he was looking for. Mainly his questions consisted of asking her why she was there and if she had been dreaming; to each time she answered _no_, she didn't know why she was there and _no_, she hadn't been dreaming.

Everyone in the pack was over. All eating everything in sight and all trying to avoid the same conversation. Allison had sat with Lydia for a very long time. Lydia could tell her friend was worried. But there wasn't anything that anyone could do. They would all just stay together, some strange wolf bonding thing. Except Scott. He ate and ran.

* * *

Lydia had been in Derek's bed for a while and all the commotion outside the room seemed to calm down. She hadn't eaten much and her throat still felt raw from the other night. Standing up she made her way over the sleeping bodies in the living room and toward the kitchen.

Lydia found a glass and filled it with cold water from the tap, as cold as it would go. But she was startled by huffing. Her brows creasing, she turned toward the noise and found none other than Cora. She was hanging from a bar, again in nothing but a sports bra and sweatpants, doing chin ups.

"What are you doing?" Lydia asked, feeling some cockyness surge back into her body. She felt normal. It was normal for her to banter with Cora.

The wolf girl only rolled her eyes, pulling herself back up again.

"Having a tea party. What does it look like?" Cora growled.

Lydia smirked, taking a small sip of her water. The cool liquid doing wonders as it slid down her throat. "I thought I smelled ginger bread."

"Why are _you_ up, Lydia? Trying to contact that boyfriend by smoke signal?"

Lydia shook her head, chuckling as she watched the girl flex her abdomen and arms. Her shoulders were so muscled, everything on display was so muscled, Lydia wondered if Cora had more muscle mass than Aidan, or any other boy for that matter.

"Har har, you're so funny. I don't think that would work considering the sky is full of smoke. And I'm not seeing Aidan anymore. You're entirely irrelevant."

"You're the one talking to me," Cora spat, holding her body up on the bar.

Lydia finished her water, rolled her shoulders back and walked past Cora with her head held high. "Good night, _dog_."

* * *

_Burning bodies. Burning flesh, the smell coursing through her and eating out her stomach. Stinging her nose and throat, forcing her eyes to tear. Bodies and bodies and bodies. Trapped. She can't get out. The smell. It's worse. It's worse and she's so _so_ hot. It burns. The tips of her hair burn, catch fire like someone strikes a match._

* * *

"Lydia."

Lydia jumped forward, her heart pounding, her throat burning and her burn stinging. Tears were in her eyes, threatening to spill as Lydia sucked in a breath about to scream.

"_Lydia_."

A hand clamped over her mouth, and Lydia jerked. The tears ran down her face and she groaned into the hand, fighting against it.

"Lydia calm down! Shhh. You're fine."

The strawberry-blonde looked up, but it was dark. She moved back, the hand slipping from her lips and she gasped, panted. Light filled the room and Cora was standing there, looking apprehensive and worried. Lydia coughed, huffed, and panted through her tears. Her heart was still pounding, feeling like it would break through her ribcage.

The bed dipped and an arm snaked around her back, hugging her. Lydia leaned into Cora, unable to help herself. Her mind was frazzled. She'd never had such a vivid dream. She'd never seen a body burn or watched the skin brown, flake, and peel off. Never imagined people screaming, groaning, sighing in pure agony as they slowly died.

"It was just a dream..." Cora whispered, more soft assurances following.

Lydia shook her head. "It wasn't. It wasn't, I was going to scream. You know that means it was real. That it was happening!"

Cora didn't say anything for a long time, the only sound in the room that of Lydia's sniffling.

"I could hear your heart beating. I thought you were having a heart attack."

"They were burning..." Lydia whispered.

She'd never been so close to Cora. She didn't smell like smoke, far from it and her warmth calmed the strawberry-blonde down. She closed her eyes, wiping at them to ward off any more tears.

"Forget about it. Focus on your breathing and sleep."

Lydia shook her head, burrowing into Cora's touch.

"You're fine. A whole house of wolves to protect you. I can smell fire from miles away. Go to sleep."

It only took ten minutes. Ten minutes of Cora petting her hair, ten minutes of Cora's gentle voice, ten minutes of listening to Cora's steady heart. Ten minutes and Lydia was asleep.


End file.
